Continuing research interests of our collaboration members (some 80
physicists and 12 institutions) include the study of fundamental
symmetries, rare decay processes, weak interactions, and polarization
phenomena. A striking asymmetry of our world is the fact that the
universe appears to be composed entirely of matter and no astronomical
object made of anti-matter has ever been detected. In fact, the only
anti-matter we find anywhere is minute quantities produced in high energy
particle interactions like those studied here at the Fermi National
Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab).

We know only one other place where an asymmetry of this kind formally
called "CP violation" has been observed. This is a tiny effect (about
1 part in 500) in certain decays of a particular elementary particle
called the neutral Kaon. As always, intellectual progress is most
likely to occur when exploring the limits of established ideas. Thus our
current Fermilab experiments seek to determine whether or not this effect
can be fully understood in the context of the present picture of matter
(the "Standard Model"). We go by the name "KTeV" for "Kaons at the
TeVatron."

To do this we are performing high-precision measurements on decays
which are known to manifest CP violation and studying a variety of
extremely rare decay processes. Both require large numbers of neutral
Kaons. These are produced by the world's highest energy proton beam from
Fermilab's TeVatron accelerator. Then fast, precise position and energy
measurements are necessary for both electrically and neutral particles
arising from the decays. The KTeV experimental apparatus thus
consists of a tandem series of state-of-the-art detectors to do this and
to help us identify the types of particles emerging from the decays. Data
from the detectors are organized, monitored, displayed, culled, and
recorded on magnetic tape by programs running on a powerful 34-processor
on-line computer system.

A 15-month data collection period ("fixed target run") has just ended.
Though this required a 24-hour/day effort, we also managed to perform
some preliminary data analysis during this time. We have already
discovered two new decay processes which had never before been seen and
are systematically studying them. Now that our attention is focused on
data analysis, many new results will emerge. These investigations are
particularly exciting because they provide a great variety of alternative
windows on CP violation and other phenomena with extraordinary potential
to enhance our understanding of nature.